February 19, 2014 Transfers and Arrivals

Introducing new arrivals into the Mission!

Ready to meet your new companion?

Meeting New Companions

Real Goodbyes at Transfer

Gentlemen and Ladies, Start Your Engines!!

Beginning of Huntsville Zone Conference

Special Musical Guests, The Non Denominational Ukelele Choir of Huntsville at Huntsville Zone Conference!

A luncheon performance by The Non Denominational Ukelele Choir of Huntsville.  It really exists and several sisters joined them as a community outreach last year and it's been continued, so the choir was invited to perform and then have lunch with the missionaries - including being serenaded by a group of missionaries at the end. Very cool!

Huntsville Zone Conference Appreciation Luncheon

Beginning of Birmingham Zone Conference

More Birmingham Zone Conference Training...

A chilly start to the Bessemer Zone Conference!

More Bessemer Zone Conference Training...

Missionaries learning…MANNERS???

Usually, the greatest majority of training is directly focused on the work of preaching the Gospel and inviting all to come unto Jesus Christ.  However, there were some indicators that some missionaries could use a reminder of table manners as well.  Sister Hanks, in her own inimitable way, took up the task: her responses included Group Questions and Rewards for Correct Answers (always in chocolate) and an imaginative foray into the world of interactive tableware.  Not only creative and instructive but genuine fun! 

New Friends and Members (Slideshow!)

Some of the new members and friends the missionaries in the Alabama Birmingham Mission have made recently.  (And some interesting stuff you'll only find in the South!)

Christmas! In February! With 3 Slideshows!

Yes Christmas is in December, and apologies that it has taken us so long to get the Christmas pictures up!  

We've had to organize, sort, and caption them all (several hundred!  Get excited parents!!!).  There were three different locations for Christmas celebrations in the AL Birmingham Mission: Birmingham, Bessemer, and Huntsville.  We've got great coverage of the Birmingham and Bessemer celebrations.  But there were some…um…technical difficulties with Huntsville.  So we only have a few from Huntsville.  

Sorry Sorry Sorry!! (I have word from the Mission Presidency that they will make this up with more coverage of the Tupelo and Huntsville Zone Conferences!)

So without further ado, I present the Christmas Picture Slideshows (click on "Read More" below):

January Transfer- only slightly smaller than the November transfer! (Slideshow)

Elder Zwick of The Seventy visits the Alabama Birmingham Mission

Late in the afternoon of Sunday, January 19^th, 2014, Elder W. Craig Zwick of the First Quorum of The Seventy made a detour on his way home to Salt Lake City from another Southeastern assignment.  His first stop was the Mission Home.

President and Sister Hanks hosted a dinner and presentation by Elder Zwick to the assembled Senior Couples and the rest of the Mission Presidency.  He spoke in considerable detail about the growth of the missionary force, not only in the past fifteen months since President Monson’s announcement of the change in ages, but also of the projected growth of The Church in coming months.

The following morning and through much of the day, Elder Zwick presided over our Mission Leadership Council meeting, involving all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders of the Mission.  MLC members gained a great deal from Elder Zwick’s training and teaching, lessons they transmitted later in their own Zone training sessions.  During lunch and prior to his departure, Elder Zwick made himself available for one-on-one conversations and the inevitable picture taking – both with individual missionaries as well as group shots.  

PICTURES! Missionaries of the AL Birmingham Mission having fun in the snow!